Matt Prosser made a name for himself as a volleyball player both on the collegiate and professional level.

Now he will try to do the same as a high school coach.

Prosser, 34, was recently hired as the new boys volleyball coach at San Juan Hills High, replacing Justin DeBlasio, who accepted the head position at Santa Margarita High, his alma mater.

The Laguna Niguel resident is a 3-time All-American middle blocker and veteran professional beach volleyball player, and brings over 20 years of volleyball experience to the program, along with appearances as a player and a coach in the NCAA Men's Volleyball Final Four (1999, 2008).

The former Long Beach State standout has been competing on several domestic professional beach volleyball tours since 2003. Most notably, in 2011, Prosser won the inaugural AVP Championships with partner Matt Olson, defeating Sean Scott and John Hyden in the championship match. In 2010 Prosser reached the championship final of the AVP Hermosa Beach Open with partner John Mayer. Prosser was also a runner-up in the 2010 U.S. Open of Beach Volleyball.

The 6-7 Prosser represented the United States in the 2006 World University Championships of Beach Volleyball, where he won a bronze medal with partner John Mayer.

Prosser was a four-year starting middle blocker at Long Beach State from 1997-2001, helping the 49ers reach the 1999 NCAA Championship match. He still holds the school record for highest single-match hitting percentage, and ranks in the top five for career hitting percentage and blocks per game.

Prosser returned to Long Beach State as an assistant coach in 2005. His duties while on the coaching staff consisted of recruiting, match strategies, preseason conditioning programs, and opposition scouting. Prosser was part of the coaching staff that appeared in the 2008 NCAA Final-Four.

He has also coached for a number of club programs, and is the founder of Pipeline Sand Volleyball Club.

Q.You've coached for various club's and at Long Beach State. Have you always wanted to be a high school coach?

A. I can't say I always wanted to be specifically a high school coach, but I love coaching and enjoy educating kids about athletics and passing knowledge to them - whether in a private club, elementary, high school or Division I school. I've always enjoyed the practice of coaching.

Q.Why San Juan Hills?

A. (The job) kind of fell into my lap. I received an email from one of the fathers of a player on the team and asked if I'd be interested. Two days later I interviewed for the job and the rest is history. It happened really fast. I knew some of the players through club teams I was coaching. That helped in my decision because l knew what kind of athletes that were involved in the program. I'm looking forward to building a winning reputation at San Juan Hills.

Q.What should fans expect to see from your team?

A. We'll play disciplined volleyball, and we'll make smart choices on the court and in the classroom. It's important that my players are in good standing academically and play exetremely hard for their teammates and school. We'll be aggressive, mature and hopefully a strong team.

Q.How's the transition from coaching NCAA Division I and club to high school gone for you so far?

A. The athletic department has been extremely helpful and the players have all been great. I'm very excited to get to work in February.

Q. What's your goals for the program?

A. The biggest goal is to win CIF. I know that's a bold statement, but that's what I signed up to do. We have a lot of talent on this year's team. Realistically, for this year, I want to win our league and go deep in the playoffs.

New San Juan Hills High boys volleyball coach Matt Prosser has played a number of years on the pro beach volleyball tour. COURTESY OF MATT PROSSER
New San Juan Hills High boys volleyball coach Matt Prosser was an assistant coach for the men's volleyball team at Long Beach State. COURTESY OF LONG BEACH STATE ATHLETICS
Matt Prosser COURTESY OF LONG BEACH STATE ATHLETICS
As a player at Long Beach State, new San Juan Hills High boys volleyball coach Matt Prosser was a 3-time All-American at Long Beach State. COURTESY OF LONG BEACH STATE ATHLETICS

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